Bar on media entry to school ‘inappropriate’: Dharmendra

Bhubaneswar: Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said it is inappropriate to impose restrictions on media’s entry into school campuses.
On Friday, several district authorities asked headmasters of government-run schools to lodge police complaint against mediapersons for their ‘unauthorised entry into school campuses’.
“In a democratic system, a school is a public institution. Media must not create disturbances in the proceedings of a school, but the fourth pillar of democracy cannot be stopped from entering the institution premises to collect news,” said Pradhan.
BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, who worked as principal secretary of the school and mass education department, said, “The order is ridiculous and should be withdrawn immediately. I am surprised to know that district and block-level education officers issued such letters.”
Condemning the order, Congress leader Suresh Routray said, “It is a ploy to prevent media from exposing corruption in the state. Restriction on media is not a good sign of democracy. Earlier also, the state government imposed restrictions on mediapersons’ entry to SCB medical College, state secretariat and the assembly.”
School and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash said he will look into the matter after his district tour.
Bhubaneswar: Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said it is inappropriate to impose restrictions on media’s entry into school campuses.
On Friday, several district authorities asked headmasters of government-run schools to lodge police complaint against mediapersons for their ‘unauthorised entry into school campuses’.
“In a democratic system, a school is a public institution. Media must not create disturbances in the proceedings of a school, but the fourth pillar of democracy cannot be stopped from entering the institution premises to collect news,” said Pradhan.
BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, who worked as principal secretary of the school and mass education department, said, “The order is ridiculous and should be withdrawn immediately. I am surprised to know that district and block-level education officers issued such letters.”
Condemning the order, Congress leader Suresh Routray said, “It is a ploy to prevent media from exposing corruption in the state. Restriction on media is not a good sign of democracy. Earlier also, the state government imposed restrictions on mediapersons’ entry to SCB medical College, state secretariat and the assembly.”
School and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash said he will look into the matter after his district tour.